New World Purgatory
by Anya Somers
Summary: Purgatory changed since the Demons escaped and the Angels fell. Sisters Stella and Roxi wake up in the strange world after an ill-fated hunt goes bad - with Dean Winchester in tow, where the dead are walking and there are new kind of hunters to deal with. Sam, Cas and Aunt Jayna use a Portal as a rescue attempt, with some help from an old friend.
1. Chapter 1

Scene opens: The eery beginning of Phil Collin's "In the Air Tonight" Including to and beyond the first lines of:

_I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord_

_And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, Oh Lord_

_Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord_

Everything seems grey, as if all life and colors were drained from them. As if waking from a long dreamless slumber, Stella's head felt oddly sluggish. The ground beneath her was wet, grassy, muddy. She couldn't for the life of her remember falling asleep, where she was or how she got there. The shadows and trees seemed to move with their own agenda. The air was thick and heavy, the humidity and dankness in the air can almost be tasted.

_Well, if you told me you were drowning_

_I would not lend a hand_

_I've seen your face before my friend_

There is a body slumped over by a tree, not quite near enough to touch. She recognized it as Dean Winchester. He is unconscious, blood drips from a wound on his temple, but even in his inanimate state, he is curled into a ball, his body shielding something beneath him.

_But I don't know if you know who I am_

_Well, I was there and I saw what you did_

_I saw it with my own two eyes _(the music fades)

Her voice cracked as she croaked out his name, her throat dry and raw, from screaming or crying, she isn't quite sure which, "DEAN!" Darting her tongue to her lips, wanting to moisten them, she finds her lower lip is swollen and tender, dried blood in the corner. She winced at the sensation. Her eyes burning from the dust that seems to penetrate the air, her pulse races, she feel intensely alone and fevered, and yet she knows there are other things out there. They are never alone. "DEAN!" she managed again, scrambling, not quite making to her feet, She stumbled at the Winchester's boots, jostling him, revealing his hidden ward, Stella's own sister's crumpled body. Dean murmured, and his eyes flutter. "Oh thank god, Dean, wake up. Wake up Dean." Panic still had her teetering on the edge of sanity.

He doesn't look to her, his attention immediately to the body beneath him, he touches the younger sister gingerly. "Roxi." He whispered, "You ok?" were his first words. Her brown curls were matted to her face in a mixture of dirt and sweat. Her skin was clammy to the touch, but she was breathing. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly, "Roxi, wake up." Stella joined in shaking the sister awake Roxi fell back weakly into Dean's arms as she creased her eyes open and tried to sit up. Everything hurt, she swore under her breath. That was a sure sign to her sister and the Winchester that she was ok.

Not feeling at ease in the least, Stella realized she still had her dagger in her boot leg, she pulled it out instinctively "Where are we?" she wondered if the Winchester was as disoriented as she was.

Dean glanced around, and swore loudly. "Son of a Bitch. Stella - you aren't going to like this… This looks alot like Purgatory." He knew the feeling. The sense of grit and grime, ash and soot that he couldn't seem to ever wash from his skin. The sensation that everything, whether animate or inanimate, was stalking him. Every breath he took was labored and lined with adrenaline. It was unmistakable.

"Shut up, Dean. That isn't funny."

"I am not joking." Dean scrambled to his feet, his senses on high alert. He knew what to expect, and that was to always expect the worst.

They were not alone. A few feet away from them, a warrior sat perched upon a large boulder, guarding them with a mechanical crossbow, his eyes hidden beneath several greasy locks of hair. "Our guests are awake." he called towards his back, his voice somewhat crooked with a southern accent.

Stella glanced up towards the man on the boulder, she hadn't even noticed him until he spoke, his ability to remain still and blend into his surroundings was uncanny.

A woman broached the treed perimeter of their holding area, her hair cut short to her head in salt and pepper curls, "We have to keep them here until Rick returns." she instructed.

"they aren't going anywhere." their guard retorted, staring at Stella and Dean with no compassion or interest whatsoever. His look was cold and relentless.

Roxi whispered to Dean, not letting their captors out of her eyesight, "We are in purgatory?"

Dean nodded, his tone with disdain, "I couldn't forget this place if I tried." How they got there or why was still the mystery.

"Last I remember was fighting a reaper."

"you can't fight a reaper, Rox." Dean semi-scolded. He had found the sisters while they were mid battle. Sent in by their aunt to help. Things were going crazy wrong. There was an eruption of sorts. He remembered shielding Roxi with his own body, pulling Stella by the arm into a ducking position with him.

"I didn't exactly know he was a reaper until it was too late." She mumbled, trying not to let their captors overhear them.

"Well, we may very well have hitched a ride with whatever it was that was being reaped." Dean tried to spy an escape. Their guard remained wordless on his post atop the large boulder. "Hey." and again to get his again, "Hey Katniss, where are we?"

He did not respond. His taunt bicep was scarred with a fresh laceration, his shirt sleeves torn off from the shoulder down, a vest layered on top, his jeans tattered and somewhat covered in dirt and what looked like spattered blood. His weapon was impressive, though - a high end mechanical crossbow and arrow set up, a perfect soundless weapon for true hunters. The old fashioned kind of hunters, who shot animals instead of supernatural creatures. He had a machete hung at his hip, and a handgun tucked into his waistband. He said nothing, just leered menacingly at the hunter and the hunters-in-training. He had high pointed cheek bones, and heavy lidded, squinted eyes, that were circled with just a small amount of puffiness that hinted at his lack of sleep. He exuded more attitude and bad-assery than any Winchester could fathom, demon or not. Stella exhaled sharply. She didn't know if she should be scared or attracted to the man.

Seeing that the male was now awake, and had stretched himself fully from being cramped up curled around the other female, the archer jumped off of his rock, "Come on." he instructed, leading the way into a circle, of what seemed to be the makings of a camp. With a wave of his crossbow, he pointed to the ground, offering them a seat by the fire.

An asian-american looking guy stood up immediately, attempting futilely to dust his pants off as he stood, more out of habit than function, "I'm Glenn. This is Maggie." he swept his hand through the crew, pointing as he uttered each word, "Michonne. Tyreese. Sasha. Carol." the last was the female who spoke with him earlier, the older woman with the short curly hair. The guy with the crossbow remained unnamed. Stella stared straight at him as if expecting him to introduce himself. Feeling her eyes on him, he dutifully looked away.

Carol spoke up as if defending his honor, "That's Daryl." he grumbled as if he would have preferred to remain nameless.

There was a gurgle that was unmistakably the sound of a baby, Dean nearly popped a gasket, "what the hell? Is that a baby?" If he was right, and they were in purgatory, the idea of a baby in purgatory was just about the worse thing he could imagine. It spoke volumes of how cruel and unjust God was, if there was a God. Tyreese, a large hulking man, with deep ebony skin, stood suddenly, shielding the contents of a basket behind him. Dean cocked his head towards the man, "Easy big guy. I'm not going to …" he held his hands up in front of him in suppliance. "This is just one hell of a place for a baby, that's all."

"Its not exactly the best place for anyone these days, is it?" Maggie interjected. Dean nodded towards the attractive young lady. Who was obviously spoken for by the friendly asian. Dean made a mental note of the protective stance they had with eachother.

"I'm Dean. Dean Winchester." he said, waiting for the name to settle on them. He was getting used to some recognition, depending on the crowd. Here, he got nothing. He nodded, happy for the anonymity, "This is Stella." Stella offered a little finger wave, She and Dean were still very much on edge, watching and waiting, not letting their guards down in the least. . He held Roxi's hand protectively, "and Roxi". Dean scanned each face, for some sort of tell, or clue, and finally he said, "You're 'all human?"

Maggie managed a small smile, almost at Dean's expense, "We aren't walkers, if that is what you mean."

"Walkers?"

"Undead. Zombies. Deadmen Walking. Walkers. That's what we call them around here." Glenn explained.

"Zombies." Dean scratched his scruffed chin, almost letting his guard down with this realization, these people weren't the monsters in this game.

Roxi held her breath, and whispered to Dean in a partial cry for help, "Zombies? Like Night of the Living Dead - Zombies?" Dean shushed her with a hand motion. Stella rolled her head on her neck. Zombies. Now there was a monster she knew her way around. She had plenty of reading and late night movie viewing under her belt, some of it had to be useful.

"So, have you figured out how to kill them yet?"

Daryl leered at the hunter, suspiciously. But it was a new voice that rang out from the circle that questioned Dean Winchester, "You mean you haven't killed one yet?"

It was a tall weathered grey bearded man. His hair was pushed off his unusually high forehead in greasy curls. Dean read his posture immediately, he was law enforcement, and he was in the leader of this strange motley crew. "Rick…" Carol rushed towards him, and grabbed the satchel he had been carrying, ripping it open to find the supplies they were long waiting for. Milk. Formula.

Dean judging this man as the leader, adjusted his attitude appropriately, "No sir. Although I am no stranger to fighting strange things that go bump in the night. Just not quite one of these particular breeds."

Rick considered this for a moment. A younger version of himself stepped in line with Carol to help feed the baby. A teenager, with floppy hair in his eyes, not in the least being held in place by the oversized haggard mountie hat he wore. Dean knew it was his son. The respect that Dean threw his way did not go unnoticed, but he still held him with a measured amount of suspicion.

"How have you survived?" Rick sauntered the perimeter of the campfire, staring menacingly at Dean and the girls.

"I know my way about a knife and a gun." Dean managed; "Stella too. Roxi here is our fighter . although, she's a little battered right now." Hearing her name she felt she was being called to attention, she straightened her spine, rolled her neck from side to side. Dean wouldn't fight the human women, this she knew. And by the look of them, she could take any one of them. Except maybe Michonne. That woman had the look of a caged beast, just waiting to spring into action. And the sword that hung on her back was obviously her best friend. Roxi guessed it was a japanese katanna. Quite an interesting choice of weapons. She wanted to ask her about it, but was afraid she was just not one for idle chit-chat.

"Have you killed any humans?" was the next question.

Dean faltered. It had the feel of a standard questionnaire. However loaded trick questions. He pulled himself up squarely, felt for his weapon at the base of his back. It was gone. There was a pile of discarded weapons towards the campfire. His firearm and blade lie there, and Roxi's handy Gerber Machiette. "I know my way about a knife and gun." he repeated. Yeah, he's killed people. But he also didn't like to brag about it; and didn't feel it was necessary to this motley crew, "Sometimes you do what you have to do."

Rick nodded; rolling this answer over in his brain. Stella's backpack was next to Roxi's machete. Carl grabbed it and thumbed through it.

"Hey!" she erupted warningly towards the young boy.

"Do you have something you are hiding?" Rick asked, ever suspicious.

Stella growled, as Carl pulled out her stash of jolly ranchers and two bars of chocolate. Dean's mouth creased into a crooked smirk, holding a hand out to halt Stella from grabbing the bag from the child. Maggie gasped audibly. "Chocolate?"

"Godiva chocolate." Stella corrected, somewhat haughtily.

"I don't care if its dollar store rejects - its chocolate!" Maggie grabbed one of the bars from Carl.

Rick smiled broadly, "Our new friends have brought us a peace offering. Maybe we could share it?" Maggie was nearly giggling, but still nodded in ascension.

Stella grumbled, Dean shot her a warning glare. When the bars were passed from hand to hand, each person taking a sliver or bite. Dean attempted to sooth the reeling Stella DeLuci, "They probably haven't had chocolate in a very long time, Stella."


	2. Chapter 2

The three huddled together, away from the core group, of what Dean started to refer to sarcastically as "Team Happy", to discuss their predicament. Both groups seemed to be equally as wary of eachother. Team Happy, did, however, give the three the space to discuss amongst each other.

"Maybe its not purgatory." Roxi whispered.

"Right, maybe the zombie apocalypse really happened." Dean muttered in his usual derisive way.

"Maybe it did." Stella said rubbing her palms on her face trying to wipe some of the dirt and blood from her cheeks, silently wishing for a shower.

"The zombie apocalypse did not happen." He waved her off, but added, "We would have known. Hunters would have known. There would have been signs." he shrugged.

"right." Stella mirrored his shrug, "right."

"I'll tell you what, this is a whole new purgatory than what I remember." Dean sighed, looking around at the shadows in the trees, and feeling the humidity in the air. His shirt stuck to his chest, his jacket seemed to weigh a ton. "Its calmer. Less running for your life."

"There is plenty of running for your life." Glenn said stepping out from the core group towards Dean.

Dean raised an eyebrow, "Walkers - (that's what you call them, right?) Walkers aren't exactly vampires or werewolves looking to rip your veins open."

"Yeah, they move slow. One walker is fairly easy." Glenn attempted to explain, "But there is never just one walker. They come in herds. And not little groups of one or two, but large herds. And when you are fighting off one walker, there's another one gnawing at its heels and 5 more with it." he sighed, "How do you not know this? How have you survived?"

"We're new around these parts." Dean attempted to use his charm, it got him nowhere.

Glenn balked, "Walkers are everywhere Just when you hear some place is safe, you find out it has already been ransacked, stripped and crawling with walkers."

Roxi smiled, "Crawling with walkers." It sounded like an oxymoron.

There was a slight shuffle in the leaves. A sound that would have passed by Dean, Roxi and Stella without a notice. But it was enough to send everyone else at the camp's spider senses tingling. They looked from one to another, silently deciding. Rick nudged his chin towards Daryl as if sending him to investigate. Daryl didn't seem to upset by the disturbance, but stealthily backed up towards the sound. Dean surveyed the group. They were all in tattered, soiled and bloodied clothes. Fortunately, his, Stella's and Roxi's outfits matched thanks to the battle that sent them there, so they fit in. Not to mention he had no idea how long he was unconscious on the mudded ground. Daryl sprinted back almost as silently as he left, "Herd coming. Its a big one."

Glenn looked to Dean sardonically as if to mime 'I told you'

"Do we run?" Roxi asked.

"No time!" Carol charged, tossing Roxi her own machete that they had confiscated from her when they had found the newcomers. The group set up a circle, their backs to eachother. Dean acknowledged with a nod as he joined the ranks, bearing his own large blade, that they had done this many times before. This was a standard defense strategy. He liked it.

Daryl threw Stella a baseball bat. She caught it with ease; wielding it in front of her readily. Wordlessly, Daryl pointed at his temple, as if instructing her. She narrowed her eyes, squinting slightly relaying proof positive that she knew exactly where to hit the Dead. Daryl pursed his lips, not believing in the young girls' confidence. Just yet. When the first walker was within her arms range, she bashed its temple to bits in one powerful swing, and stomped on the remains with the heel of her boot, while swinging at the next rancid body that came towards her.

Stella's weapon gave her a slight advantage over some of the others'. Her's let her assault within the length of the bat. It was Daryl who had the greatest advantage, shooting his crossbow at the outside edge of the herd, falling the walkers that were farthest away. Dean's knife's blade was long enough to slice through the skulls, but he had to get within arms length, a little too close for his liking.

Roxi was jealous of Michonne's katanna. It seemed like the perfect weapon against these walking dead creatures. A sharp edge on each end, long enough to stab at their brains, from either direction, and yet keep them far enough from you as not to touch you. That was top of Roxi's mind. "please don't let these things touch me." They were so gross. Everything the movies depicted, but in the worst 4D ever. Their skin was translucent grey, and it hung in shreds, much like their clothing. Torn open wounds oozed fluid that was similar to blood except without the consistency and fluidity. The smell that emanated from them was worse than any food left in her frig back at college. Having had to help her brother clean his room at one point, (some sort of extreme penitence), she had experienced the smell of rotting food and meat when she found several indistinguishable substances under his bed. The walkers' smell something more akin to rotten meat mixed with eggs, vomit and feces. As if all the bodily functions exploded at the exact same time, and the smell stayed with the body. She tried to look past the gore and the vacant stares to conceptualize the person that was once there, but it was impossible. Their eyes did more than look through her, they bore into her skin, and only saw the meal of the flesh that hung on her own skeleton. One particular walker's intestines hung outside of their belly, dangling and swaying towards her as she swung her machete out at it's head. She tried to swallow back the bile that rose in her throat as the innards nearly grazed her thigh. Holding her breath, she was able to slice it's head in half, terminating its brain.

Dean quickly got frustrated with what seemed to be a futile fight of slicing and bashing, pulling his firearm from his waistband. Shooting the bastards just seemed to be the more productive move.

"NO." Rick called out, rapidly reaching to Dean, forcing his aiming arm down; "Save your bullets." and then added, "The noise will attract more."

"More?!" Roxi yelped with some added swear words, "Don't you dare fire that gun, Winchester!"

* * *

><p>At the causatum, there were masses of flesh at their feet. There were no human casualties or injuries. The battle was executed with pristine proficiency and efficacy. Michonne lovingly wiped the goo from her staff, Daryl retrieved all of his arrows from the rotting skulls. Rick made rounds to every member of the troop, verifying their corporeal and mental state. Dean took deliberate notice as he physically touched each person, even if it was a mere brush of his hand across their shoulder, as if to reconnect with each human, and unite them all. Rick Grimes was a true leader.<p>

Dean looked to rally his own troops. Stella hopped from foot to foot as she discussed with Daryl Dixon their different accounts of the battle. Her adrenalin was still spiked, but the proud smile upon her face surpassed Dean's concern. She seemed eerily at ease. He would consider this later. Roxi, however, did not fare as well. She stepped gingerly through the mangled bodies, to empty the contents of her stomach behind the nearest tree. "Waste of good chocolate." Maggie muttered, bringing smiles and giggles from Sasha and Carl. Still, she hurried to Roxi's side, holding up her hair, helpfully.

Dean dared to poke his head towards the younger sister, only to be shooed away by Roxi herself, "I'm FINE." she insisted angrily.

Michonne joined Maggie at the tree with Roxi. Maggie nodded as Michonne quietly waited for Roxi to finish righting herself. "First time, huh?" Michonne asked, her voice smooth, both cool and warm at the same time. Roxi nodded somewhat sheepishly. She didn't like showing weakness. Especially around these new people. These new, obviously seasoned warriors.

"Its alot to take in." Michonne added. Roxi could tell Michonne wasn't the touchy-feely type, any kind of intimate conversation was a stretch for her. Roxi managed a grateful smile, Michonne added, "Let's get some more of that chocolate, it will get that nasty taste out of your mouth."

* * *

><p>It wasn't long thereafter that they noticed that Team Happy almost automatically, as if moved by a collective conscious, started packing up their things, and loading their backs with their satchels. "Are we going somewhere?" Stella asked innocently enough.<p>

Rick Grimes looked to Daryl, and Carol before answering, "We are moving on." There was an accent on We. Stella essentially winced at the definitiveness of it. She cast a "what the fuck?" glance to Daryl. He avoided her eyes. He liked the girl. She was strong, and forceful. She defended herself just like a seasoned fighter. She still had a light in her eyes that this place hadn't killed. and he thought Carl had a little crush on her, that little shit.

Roxi and Dean stood, united. Not sure if they should follow this brood, or plod their own path. "Where to?" Dean asked. Destination was the key to sorting it out.

"The ultimate goal would be to find somewhere to hold up for awhile." Maggie spoke up, "A place we can set up defenses."

Glenn caressed her arm as if seeking and providing comfort subconsciously to his mate was as inherent as breathing. "A place to get a good night's rest."

"Here?" Dean mocked, "I don't think so."

"We do the best that we can." Glenn added, there was nothing else to say but that. Dean pursed his lips and nodded in concession.

"You can come with us." Sasha spoke up. Most of the members of Team Happy glared at her. It clearly wasn't her role in the group to make this offer. Rick cleared his throat, and rubbed his bearded chin. Sasha continued, "They've proved themselves in a fight. They answered the questions."

"They didn't really answer the questions." Carol interjected, ever the skeptic. She liked the girls, too. They showed great potential. She was leery of the man, however. With his charm and his green eyes. Nope. She didn't trust him one bit.

"We aren't really looking for a place to _stay." _Dean declared. "That is probably the furthest from our intents actually." He wanted out. Out of Purgatory. He needed to find the portal as quick as possible, and get the hell out, dragging these two damn pain-in-the-ass girls with him.

"Alright then." Rick announced, it being settled.

Roxi, however, chimed in, "That doesn't mean we can't travel together for a little while." The idea of having somewhere safe to sleep sounded like heaven right about now.

"If we are traveling anyway, it obviously is safer in a group. We are more equipped to set a line of defense against another herd of walkers." damn it, Stella had a point.

Rick looked to the two girls. They fought well against the walkers. But they were young. Protecting people was second nature to Rick, he blamed his cop training. If he could help protect those girls, he could put up with the Winchester guy. Who, he had to admit, was very skilled with his knife, and a lot of power and force behind than pretty face. If he had his druthers, he would want Daryl, and Dean on their front line. "Alright, then." he repeated, Daryl nodding a silent affirming verification of this decision.


	3. Chapter 3

Scene: Jayna's Prius. Jayna is driving. Sam is folded in half in the passenger seat, his knees to his chest, his body slouching down, trying to keep his head from hitting the roof.

On the radio, The Rolling Stones.

_I saw her today at the reception_

_A glass of wine in her hand_

_I knew she would meet her connection_

_At her feet was a footloose man_

_No, you can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometime you find_

_You get what you need_

"These are surprisingly roomy on the inside." Sam said trying to sound sincere, "It is bigger than I thought."

Jayna tried to look sympathetic, or enjoy the sarcasm. But her mind was not in a happy place, "Sam" she said in a warning tone. She took a breath and seemed to speak non-tangentially, "Its called Espresso Brown. I dyed it." She cast a sidelong glance at the Winchester scrunched up in her passenger seat. He had been staring at her, thinking something was different. Maybe something with her hair, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Thinking ….

He snuffed slightly under his breath, laughing at himself, and the psychic's ever present telepathy skills. And he thought, pushing the thought towards her forcefully, "so do we communicate like this then?" He was trying to be snarky.

Jayna cocked a half smile, "sure, go ahead, read my thoughts, Sammy."

He didn't like the sound of that, she was messing with him, plain and simple. He shook his head, and blushed. She was the telepath, not him. So she could read Sam's thoughts, he however could only read things she projected out deliberately to him. "Amateur" she quipped under her breath, and then she swallowed hard, finally deciding to ask the Winchester the question that was tumbling around in her brain, "how come you haven't set the record straight regarding you and I with Dean?"

Sam's smile was mischievous and delusive, "Why should I? It more fun to watch him squirm."

"Sam," she shook her head, her tone slightly reproachful. "He thinks we are an item. Or bed-buddies, or something."

"Friends with benefits" Sam laughed using the term his brother had coined for himself and the psychic.

Jayna cast a scolding look at the younger brother, he enjoyed deceiving his brother too much, even if it was harmless, "When I called, looking for help with Roxi and Stella, he thought it was a booty call."

Sam guffawed loudly, managing a snickering, "Sorry."

"I have the reputation of sleeping with Sam Winchester, without enjoying the experiences. That's just not fair." she laughed along with Sam. They both enjoyed tormenting eachother with flirty banter that insinuated mutual desire; but that was the extent of it.

"Well, we do have a profound bond." Sam snickered, referring to Jayna's telepathic abilities, and her affinity to Winchester thoughts in particular; but his wording poked fun at Dean and Castiel's complicated relationship.

Jayna reached up to adjust her mirror - Just in time to catch the Angel apparate in her back seat. She had felt a shift in the atmosphere with his approach, which was why she had reached for the mirror. She logged this sensation for future reference.

"Stella is missing." Castiel announced abruptly; somewhat tensely.

Sam's head spun backwards, the terrestrial man still surprised by the angel's sudden appearance, " yeah - we know." Sam and Jayna exchanged guilty looks, hoping Cas hadn't overheard their conversation.

Jayna looked at Castiel's reflection; "but how do YOU know?" she inquired.

Cas pursed his lips, scowled slightly more than usual, and glared down at the cell phone in his hand, "There is a pattern in her texting ritual. She texts me every other day, at 8:30 am. I have not heard from her in 3 days, missing 2 of her usual message days."

"You've been keeping in contact with Stella?" Sam asked suspiciously. This was the Angel who didn't answer any of his prayers, and only sometimes answered his calls when Dean was gone. But he texted with Stella every other day.

"Yes. She texts me every other day." Cas repeated with annoyance that he had to repeat himself.

"They face-time weekly, too." Jayna interjected, teasingly poking at Sam's annoyance. Sam furrowed his brow, considering this, and the fact that Jayna was fully aware of it.

"Yes. We 'face-time' " the Angel pushed the words out as if they were a new language he was still getting used to, "every Sunday evening while she does her laundry."

"Do you go on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr too?" Sam joked, "Do you tweet?"

Cas sensed the Winchester was teasing him, but he was familiar with all those terms thanks to Stella. He just glared at Sam, "I do not tweet." he growled.

"Castiel has plenty of followers in real life. He doesn't need Twitter followers too." Jayna laughed at the angel's expense. Cas didn't seem to enjoy it. He cast a glance that said, 'don't even get me started with that!'

"I tried to locate Dean also…." he added.

"We are assuming they are together." Sam explained.

Before Sam could continue, Jayna interrupted, "The girls were doing a little amatuer hunting. I felt like they were in a little over their heads, so I called Sam and Dean to help out." Cas tried not to roll his eyes, he knew this call for help would annoy Dean, feeling he was being called in to what he would probably consider babysitting. "Things got a little out of hand…."

"Whatever they were fighting, just disappeared, taking Dean and the girls with it." Sam interjected. He was there. He had only experienced that phenomenon once before, when they fought Dick Roman and Dean ended up spending a year in Purgatory.

"We are on our way to a hell coyote's rendezvous site. Hoping to get in through the back door." Jayna was up to speed on Sam's trials, and the purgatory scenario.

"And we think that a canine can get you into Purgatory?" Cas wondered outloud, along with his usual squinty suspicious look.

"Not an actual coyote." Sam explained, "Its just a name for someone who brings people over borders - usually illegally."

"I am coming with you." Castiel decided quickly, "You will need my help."

"Cas - I don't know if that is such a good idea. Last time you were in Purgatory, you were a magnet for all of the creatures. And when Naomi send in the troops to bring you out, she said a lot of angels died in the process. What if we can't get you out?"

"Indications are that if I hadn't let go, Dean would have pulled me through the portal successfully. Angels were killed through the process of trying to locate me while I was hiding in Purgatory. Because, yes, Angels attract the attention of assorted monsters, particularly at the time the Leviathan, however - You will already know where I am." Castiel's defense was logical, but he then added, "Since the fall and the demons flocked the earth; things have changed in Purgatory."

Sam was skeptical, "You mean they aren't being chased down by every monster we've ever hunted?"

"The creatures may still be there. But the population has changed somewhat. It is not just monsters, there are human souls trapped there also. Human souls mutate at their arrival. The mutation is surreptitious and gradually subverts each human beyond recognition. They are mostly hunted down by their own kind. It is still a very dangerous place for a human; although flesh and blood, living humans who do not enter Purgatory in the usual manner, may be immune from the mutation."

Jayna stopped the car abruptly, staring at Castiel's reflection in her rearview mirror, "Are you saying that Roxi and Stella could already be mutated?!" Sam grasped the dashboard, and looked behind them to be sure they weren't going to get plowed into. One car swerved around them, laying on the horn. Sam waved to the driver sheepishly.

"No. They did not enter Purgatory in the usual way." Cas corrected.

Sam tried to make sense of it, "They didn't die. They weren't reaped."

"Correct."

* * *

><p>Jayna wasn't exactly sure what she expected of a Portal into Purgatory, but the graffiti mottled dimly lit alley way was not it. She examined the spraypainted door from a few feet away.<p>

"Is that supposed to be a Tardis door?" she wondered outloud, referring to the popular British SciFy show, Doctor Who. It was painted a vibrant blue, with two white window 6 panes each, latches in the center.

Sam cocked his head slightly on an angle, his brow cinched as he considered it, "I don't think it was on purpose."

"Where is the canine?" Castiel asked, hovering behind the two.

"Coyote." Sam corrected. Cas liked 'Canine' better. They had expected to find a reaper by the portal door, waiting for customers to request to be taken to the other side. Either in or out. The alley was deserted, as was the street leading to it.

"What do you remember from last time?" Jayna asked, feeling impatient.

"He had me take his hand, and the portal just opened." Sam shrugged. "No spell, so incantation - it just opened."

Jayna paced, circling around the Winchester once, concentrating, her mind flitting from one idea to another. Sam stood still, doing his best brainstorming when his body was frozen. Jayna could only come up with one idea, she looked into Sam Winchester's face, trying to discern things that he might have forgotten, "Show me." Sam swallowed, stretching his neck from side to side, preparing for Jayna's exploration into his memories, Jayna explained to both Cas and Sam, in case they doubted her intentions, "There might be some psychic residue left from the event that I can tap into, and maybe use." Cas put his hands on the humans' shoulders. To protect them, and to maintain a link between the three of them. Jayna took Sam's hand in hers.

Jayna saw the scene before her. The coyote reaper and his thick middle-eastern accent. The walls before them were graffiti covered, although the designs were different then as they were now. The door was still blue …. the colors of the designs slurred together towards the door in a psychedelic like trippiness, swirling, and glowing with day-glo vibrancy and incandescent light. in real life, outside of her mind's eye, she tightened her grip on Sam's hand. She felt sweat bead on the curve of her back, and Cas's handclasp on both of their shoulders strengthened, careful not to hurt them. The door illuminated, so bright it blinded them momentarily. Not having a coyote to pull them in, Sam erupted, "Now!" The three leapt forward into the abyss.

* * *

><p>"Hello Sammy." a voice spoke from behind a tree. When he stepped from the shadows, Sam felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. "I wouldn't think you would be trying to get back into this hell-hole, after I nearly killed myself to get you out."He removed the black hat that shielded his eyes with a small brim. His Louisianian accent giving him away instantly.<p>

Sam's voice almost failed him, "Benny…."

They embraced, in a brotherly like, back slapping, hug, Sam squeezing a little tighter than he intended, realizing how happy he was to see the vampire, and he was alive. He even had to gulp back some tears that had welled up. He had his differences with the vamp, but in the end they had made their peace, and the vampire ended up sacrificing his own resurrected life on earth for Sam's rescue from Purgatory. The last he saw of Benny he was fighting off a gang of purgatory vamps, and it didn't seem to be faring well for him. Jayna felt the guilt that Sammy had felt over Benny's death wash over her in a rush as it left Sam's body. Benny was alive.

Pushing Sam away from him, Sam clearing his throat as he stepped aside, Benny offered his hand to Castiel, "Still watching over these boys?" he asked with an air of familiarity. Cas merely nodded respectfully as he shook his hand.

"Now … who is this lovely little lady?" Benny turned to Jayna with a charmed smile. When he reached out for her hand, she was surprised at the warmth of his skin. His hand was large, almost mitt like, not like the sleek fingers of Sam Winchester, but meaty and strong. Jayna took a step closer to the vampire, staring directly into his deep set eyes. They were the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Bluer than even Castiel's - and she didn't think that was possible.

"Jayna." Sam announced, "Jayna Somers …" he stuttered minutely as he introduced her, as if being cautious.

Benny did not take his eyes from Jayna's as he raised her hand to his lips. His beard and mustache, peppered with grey, tickled her skin as he kissed the back of her hand old fashioned style. "Benny Lafitte." she said his name, as if she already knew it, and him. She had heard the stories, both from Dean and Sam. But his presence was more than just the stuff of legends, it resonated with an energy that she had yet a name for. She knew he was a vampire. but she was not afraid. She wondered at this. She wasn't afraid in the least. She marveled at this being. She said his name again, "Benny Lafitte."

His thin lips creased into a smile, creeping over his face, and the crinkles in his eyes. He nodded, "Pleasure, little miss." turning again to face Sam, Benny was all business, his hand however lingered on Jayna's as he spoke, "Now what are you doing here in this god forsaken place, Sam Winchester? Castiel, Angel of the Lord?"


	4. Chapter 4

They were on the move. To where, they weren't exactly sure. But they wanted to keep moving.

"So you're saying Dean is here, somewhere?" Benny asked for clarification once they filled him in.

"We think so."

"With your nieces?" he posed the question towards Jayna, she nodded.

Jayna took a moment to look around, "Is it me, or is this place … colorless." Sam and Benny had no idea what she was saying, and their faces exhibited that, she continued, "Not color-less, really. But its like everything is washed out. The trees are green, the ground is brown, the rocks are grey - but it seems like everything just blends together - like we are seeing things through a filter or something …" she hesitated, because recognition still did not register on the guys' faces.

Except Castiel, "The spark of life is drained from everything in Purgatory. There is no hope or pleasure in Purgatory. It makes sense that you perceive that as a kind of colorless filter. Especially with your heightened senses." The thought made Jayna unexpectedly intensely mournful.

"How long have you been here, Benny?" she asked, although she could guess the answer, but asking it because she couldn't imagine existing in such a grim place for any amount of time.

"Passage of time is a little vague." he semi-answered, trying to avoid the psychic's pity, "One is usually in Purgatory for the long haul, at least that is the usual plan."

"If you survive." Sam added, he experienced the constant fear for your life and fighting off everything that moved during his short sojourn in Purgatory. He couldn't imagine a long stay; maintaining that fierce level of personal defense.

"Is it surviving, if you are actually already dead?" She wondered if this offended Benny, "I mean most things DIE before they come here. That's kind how they get here."

Benny's mouth cracked into an ironic smile, "Darlin', death here is not a release from Purgatory. It just means you get to be reborn again, to fight for your life again, possibly to die and do it all again." He knew from experience, having died so many times he had lost count, even some at his own hand, and still he awoke in Purgatory, hunted by his fellow vamps and monsters. Jayna attempted to silence the groan that erupted in her throat, but she could not. Benny appreciated her aversion of the idea.

They walked in silence for a few more paces, before Jayna whispered to Castiel, "Can't you sense him?" she was referring to Castiel's 'profound bond' with Dean Winchester. She wasn't exactly sure how it worked, or the extent of its power. But she did know that if she was near a Winchester, particularly Sam Winchester, her spidey senses went on alert. It had to be similar for Castiel. Cas cast an offended look in response, but conceded, "not yet."

"Don't go teleporting without out us if you do." She warned. The angel hesitantly agreed.

* * *

><p>Dean wiped the side of his blade on his jeans. The latest kill was an easy small group of three. The group had even tried to walk away from the trio, but when Michonne just nonchalantly sliced her blade through one head, Dean decided to finish the other two off with very little effort.<p>

"You doin' alright, Sexy?" Dean asked Roxi. Her color was back in her cheeks, and she didn't look at the walkers with any sense of repulsion anymore, just cool abhorrence.

"I'm fine." she grumbled, but was thankful for Dean's concern, and his nickname for her. Sexy. What girl wouldn't want to be called Sexy by Dean Winchester. "It was just that one time. I'm good now."

Glenn chimed in, "Its happened to the best of us. The first time I saw a walker gutted, I totally tossed chunks too. But, yeah, you kinda get used to it."

"I do not want to be here long enough to get used to it." she semi whispered just for Dean to hear it. He nodded. They were still trying to decipher this group, Team Happy. They weren't looking for the portal, they weren't looking for a way out. They were only looking for ways to survive. This baffled Dean. Although, he recognized it as very much the mentality of Purgatory, at least by its inhabitants. These humans were so used to be trapped in this place that they weren't even trying to get out. Or maybe, they didn't know there was a way out. A portal only for humans. Leaving these walking corpses long behind.

Stella fell back in step with her sister and Dean, commenting in a hushed tone, "You should let Roxi and I kill the next ones." Dean AND Roxi glared at her, she explained, "Especially Roxi. We can't have them thinking she is weak." Dean had to admit, she had a point.

"Ok. I'm fine with that." Roxi said confidently. She killed about a half dozen vampires in one battle once. She killed whatever it was that brought them here. She could certainly handle a pile of walking rotting flesh, even if it did want to gnaw her face off.

"We could head towards the city. There are lots of buildings there. Easier to barricade and defend." Sasha suggested.

"Nah." Daryl answered, not even glancing towards the companion, "The city is swarming with walkers."

Rick shook his head, in alliance with Daryl, "Its true. They may have bombed the city, but that only left more bodies for the walkers to either eat or turn. If we can find something in the suburbs, that might be helpful, or another farm."

"I never thought I would miss the prison." Maggie mumbled. Glenn smiled at her somewhat in agreement, but at least in the prison that had their own rooms, some sense of privacy. Sure they were cells, but there were beds, and walls between them and the fences made it easy to defend, and for awhile had kept the walkers at bay.

But Glenn recalled even simpler days, "Or Hershel's farm." Hershel was Maggie's father, long since gone from their crew. The farm was were Glenn and Maggie met, and fell in love. Not to mention it was home for Maggie and her sister Beth. Beth was missing right now, but they hadn't given up hope to find her.

"What I wouldn't give for a shower and a Starbucks coffee." Stella added somewhat naively, but it came off as ironic. She got a few chuckles from Team Happy. She whispered, "and a damn cell signal."

"Sorry Sunshine." Dean patted her shoulder soothingly.

"Its so hot." Roxi added outloud, peeling off the last possible layer before she was revealing too much skin.

"Its Georgia. Its always hot here." Michonne added.

Roxi looked to Dean, "Georgia? We're in Georgia?!" He lifted his shoulders in puzzlement. Purgatory has geographic locations? "I thought Georgia was pecans and peach trees."

"Used to be." Rick answered, coming to the thought that these travels may not be from around these parts, "How long have you three traveled? Where did you start?"

"We were on a hunt in Mississippi. must have took a wrong turn from there." Stella only partially lied. The hunt in Mississippi part was true.

Tyreese and Sasha has scouted ahead, and returned quickly. "There is an interstate not far south from here. Route 3. Signs say it runs to Marietta."

"How do we know that Marietta hasn't been taken over by walkers, just like everything else?' Roxi wondered outloud.

Rick ignored her and nodded to his decision, "Marietta is a good size town. Schools. A library. A courthouse. All good sturdy brick buildings that could give us some safe shelter for awhile." Maggie and Glenn exchanged looks, it sounded like a dream come true to them right now.

"Maybe some supplies to be foraged." Maggie added, Hoping upon hope for something.

"We'll help you get settled there." Dean added advantageously, "but then, we are going back on the road. We have our own places to be."

"Your own places to be?" Daryl questioned nearly putting his hand on the hilt of his dagger suddenly losing the small amount of trust he might have in Dean. "Where do you have to be?"

"Look, Robin Hood, as wonderful company as you and your band of merry men and women are - Roxi, Stella and I need to find a way out of here. Away. No offense."

"Look " Rick Grimes's voice was deep, heavy intense, "You think there is a way out of this? Walkers are everywhere. The only hope is to find a government hold up, a military base maybe the Pentagon itself, that is protected and secure where they are working on a cure, or a way to fight this."

* * *

><p>He placed the crossbow in her hand, and helped her aim at a spot on a nearby tree. Stella was a talented marksman, plenty of repetitive practice, usually with a firearm, but she had tried her hand at bows and arrows just for fun. As he laid his hand on her hip, and the other leveling her shot, Daryl spoke in his usual sultry twang, "Why do you follow him?"<p>

"Dean?" Stella asked - knowing that the answer was more than obvious. He was Dean Winchester. He had been to Purgatory before, and made it out. He was a warrior, and a mentor. Following him was never ever a question or a doubt. "He's like family." she managed. It was partially true. "He and his brother Sam have taught us a lot about …" she paused, looking for the words …

Daryl interrupted, "he has a brother?" Stella regretted that he had let go of her for the moment as he thought about her words.

"A younger brother, Sam. They got separated. That never goes well for those two."

Daryl stood silent for a moment, his brain registering the familial connection between brothers that he knew too well. Even is his own relationship with his brother was strained and complicated even to the end, he knew the innate pull of it all.

"Why do you follow Rick?" Stella countered.

Daryl snuffed as if she was asking a crazy question, "Rick has proved himself over and over again as reliable and worthy of trust. We have fought side by side throughout this entire nightmare, and we have consistently had eachothers's back. " The slumpy shuffle of a walker made its way into their field of vision. A loner. Stella still had the cross bow in her hand; They might have just let the lone walker pass them by; but Daryl smiled a semi-hidden half cocked smirk, and nodded to Stella. She aimed, and the arrow landed directly center brain. Daryl nodded, but then instructed in a taunting tone; with Stella sighing with hesitant accession, "Don't forget to bring back my arrow."

* * *

><p>The first time Jayna laid eyes on a walker, she nearly proved her kinship with Roxi, and vomited behind the tree, herself. Benny had called attention to the solo dead walker as the group trudged to the woods. He held them back with a silent hand motion. Sam readying his weapon in an almost organic inbred movement; stepping in front of Jayna, his legs wide in a defensive position. Cas watched with an abhorrent fascination.<p>

It moved painfully with a plodding sluggish gait, as if struggling with each step. Its knees not bending, its feet not lifting from the ground. His clothing was torn in strips and tatters, much like its skin, hanging loosely from its bones, and torn open at his arms, and neck. Where veins and flesh should be were empty caverns oozing with mucus. His eyes were vacant, and the noise that came from his throat was of a beast that was drowning in its own blood.

"What is that?" Jayna whispered to Sam. He shook his head silently. There was a sound that sliced through the air, causing Sam to flinch and pull Jayna arm to a slight duck. But it had passed too quickly for any reaction to be in time. An arrow, embedded itself centermost of the brain of the beast, falling it in one blow.

"In the brain, that's how to do it." Benny remarked, obviously impressed at the marksmanship, but still assiduously alert for the source.

There was a shuffle in the trees. Steps. Exact, rhythmic steps, of a quickly striding living human. A distinct difference in the sound of the faulting ambling of the half dead beast. A petite figure stepped over towards the fallen corpse, glancing around her, ever watchful, diligent. Dressed in a torn and filthy outfit that looked vaguely familiar, she met Jayna's broad deep brown eyes. Her own widened in surprise, a spot of fear, then relief and joy. She wanted to yell, she want to scream and cry, and laugh. She knew she could not, lest attract more walkers. But the smile that erupted upon her face spoke volumes. The brilliant beautiful toothy grin of Stella DeLucia.


	5. Chapter 5

It took Dean a dubious moment to realize who he was looking at, and even then he wondered if it was a trick of his mind. A Purgatory trick. Black frayed jacket. Broad shoulders, thick muscled torso. Ears that stuck out a little too far from the black newsboy hat that he wore pulled down close to his ice blue eyes. A sorrowful look, the corners of his mouth in a pensive frown, he looked out from under that small brim, and pursed his lips to push out a low, sweet song. Dean closed his eyes and remembered Benny's incessant whistling. Reaching out, he touched his shoulder, tentative.

Sam got quickly sick of the game, "He's real Dean." Dean's tentative touch turned to a balled fist, grabbing the jacket to him, pulling Benny into a fierce hug. He slapped the side of Benny's neck in an affectionate gesture as he finally released the vampire.

He greeted Castiel with a offering of his hand; but nstead of just a firm handshake, they slide their hands to eachother's forearms, pressing their arms against eachother's, for a lingered moment, "What the hell took you so long?" he joked into Cas's ear, his usual savior. Cas scowled at him.

The girls hugged her aunt and Sam with genuine affection, whispering, "We knew you'd come.", regarding the vampire with suspicion and both grabbed Castiel in a bear hug which made the angel squirm uncomfortably (which was exactly why they did it).

Team Happy stood silent watching this convergence of friends. Daryl's crossbow readied in his hand for any walkers that might interrupt the reunion. His eyes barely visible beneath the greasy shanks of hair. Rick paced nervously, this made their group grow in size exponentially. More people to look out for. Maggie and Sasha exchanged emotional looks at the glee that they knew the girls were experiencing of being reunited with their own people. It was obvious that everyone assumed the man in the hat was dead at one point, and had just discovered he was not. They knew this feeling too, having had lost so many - sometimes literally lost, sometimes turned, sometimes killed. Being reunited with those lost was a dream.

When they all were hovered around a two small fires lit in old tin cans (too big of a fire could attract walkers) that night, Dean put his arm around Roxi's shoulders, "See, I told you it would all work out." his smile not wavering.

"We are still here, Dean." she murmured into his arm, trying not to be overheard.

"But things are looking up. Cas. Sammy. Benny." he rattled them off like they were a cast of the latest blockbuster movie. He lowered his voice to a whisper, " We've been here before, and got out. We just need to make it to the Portal."

Jayna made her rounds, being introduced to all of Team Happy. When she greeted each person, she felt their grief, anger and fear wash over her in waves. Only the baby, Judith, gave her respite; who she cooed appropriately at over, and offered the next round of feedings. The pain that emanated from each soul was so tangible to her, she felt breathless and weak. She tried to pull some positivity from the young one, Carl, but even there she was met with a wall of torment that she nearly burst into tears. She only nodded respectfully to him, trying to acknowledge his little boy essence, hiding beneath the tough exterior.

Roxi and Stella were enjoying the reunion with both the Winchester Boys, meeting their new friend Benny (who no one dared mention his 'affliction'), they included Carl, Sasha, Maggie and Glenn in their conversations, and for a moment all seemed calm. Castiel was silent. Beyond silent. He was mute, and had moved to lean against a tree, as if trying to camouflage himself, blending into the trunk. Jayna looked up at him as if looking for support, but he had none to give. His face was as frozen as his mind always was to her. She touched his sleeve to get his attention, he looked to her blankly. Her approach was clandestine and unassuming, as to not alert the others. Her back to them, her face to the angel, a few tears traced on her cheeks, "I need your help." she croaked. "Cas …" She held onto his hand fiercely, "These people… their pain, its too much. I can't take it - its soo much, all at once. Its killing me."

He squinted at her, reading her body, evaluating her physicality, "It is not killing you."

"Castiel." she snuffed, a half sob, half chuckle. She wanted to swear at him.

"I can not take away that kind of pain." he whispered, "I am sorry."

She wiped her tears forcefully from her cheeks, "Just knock me out then. You can do that, can't you?"

"hey …." Sam's voice interrupted their conversation, she could feel him behind her, towering over her, "Jayna …."

She didn't turn to face the Winchester. Cas glanced from Jayna to Sam, not sure what to say, and finally settling on, "She isn't feeling well."

Touching her shoulder, lots of things flew through Sam's mind, and Jayna heard every one. "That is not helping." she groaned, feeling her legs weaken.

Cas grimaced, searching the words that Sam would understand, "Its a psychic thing."

Sam let go of her immediately, knowing that his touch bond them together even more so than usual. "Thank you." she whispered as if he put some ice on a swollen ankle. "I need some space." she announced.

Dean hopped up, somehow just over hearing this portion of the conversation, "Not a chance. You haven't seen what's out there Jayna."

Jayna cast a glance around the campfire circle. Taking in every haggard face, every shattered soul. "Yes I have." she said, taking Sam's knife from him (knowing full well he had another), stepping into the shadows of the trees.

* * *

><p>"She just found us." Roxi insisted, "She wouldn't just leave us like that." Stella pulled her fingers through her sister's brown curls, trying to work through any knots, making do without a brush. Roxi complaining that she didn't carry a brush in her backpack. "chocolate, jolly ranchers, a book, and your laptop. That's real helpful."<p>

"Its not even a very good book." Dean muttered, tossing the paperback back in the bag.

"You would enjoy Kurt Vonnegut." Cas retorted, catching a glimpse of the title as it was shuttled back into the canvas bag. Dean glared at the angel as if insulting his toughness.

"Vonnegut is pretty bad ass." Daryl added, barely looking up from his maintenance on his crossbow and arrows. Dean glared at him too, but Daryl only shrugged.

"She'll be back." Stella tried to answer, without much of an explanation.

It was past everyone's bed time when Jayna finally made it back to the camp. Everyone was in some sort of level of sleep, whatever kind of sleep was possible in this kind of sitation. Except Castiel and Benny. Jayna knew Castiel didn't need any sleep, and once she saw Benny keeping the guard as well she realized it only made sense that Benny didn't either, or at least not that much. And so they both stood as sentinel.

She approached the two, Benny speaking first, "You must be exhausted, little lady. Why don't you catch some Zs."

Castiel surveyed her, wordlessly, accessing that she was not injured, "You did not come across any walkers." Although seeing them for the first time when Stella shot the arrow through one's head, Dean made sure to update Sam and Cas about the 'walkers' , their impending attack probabilities and how to kill them. Jayna had missed Zombie 101 class.

"I saw one near the road." she whispered, Benny moved towards her almost protectively, she shook her head, "It was ….(she paused as if comprehending it for the first time) legless. One arm was caught under a rock. Like somebody tried to kill it, but missed, or didn't finish the job. This thing … It just laid there; growling and hissing, reaching out…" She held her hand out towards the vampire as if to shoo him away, but her hand stopped at his chest, she stared up into his face, searching his blue eyes, trying to make sense of it, "I sat with it for a little while." Benny's forehead crinkled as he weighed on this, he knew only too well what she had seen, his eyes relayed his empathy. Jayna continued, "It still wanted to kill me. Here it was: Dead. (she corrected with a raise of her eyebrows) Un-Dead. Unable to move, to run, to chase me; It certainly could not _hurt _me in the state that it was in. But it still … wanted to. It had no idea it couldn't." She patted the vampire's chest with finality, "Kind of poetic, actually."

Jayna looked around the camp at the various sleeping bodies. It was quiet. Even in her head, it was quiet. "Do you know what I am, Benny?" she asked in a hushed, almost intimate tone.

"Dean said you are some sort of psychic."

"I am. I'm actually pretty good." she laughed at herself, "Too good sometimes. I can read some minds." she shrugged as if it were a passing thing, but then wiped her hand across her face as if suddenly exhaustion swept over her, and then motioned to the sleeping bodies, "These minds have so much going on. So much pain and fear, and confliction. Its just too." she breathed deep, sighed, "I am supposed to be a psychic. and yet, I can't see the future. That's what I am supposed to be able to do, see the future. I look at these people, and I see nothing. No future. Just pain."

"There is no future here in Purgatory, darlin' " he said as benignantly as he could muster, knowing his words could wound as deeply as these people's thoughts, or that knife in her hand.

* * *

><p><em>Scene: a hypnotic beat pulses in the background; the beginning of the the song Five to One by the Doors <em>

Roxi stands, machete in hand, Her sister comes out from behind a tree, zipping up her pants. They stand side by side. Stella, stands with a baseball bat in her hand, the top end of which is black, soiled from previous kills. They are alone, having slipped away for a moment of privacy behind a tree. They are approached by at least 6 walkers.

As the words of the song start, the sisters attack the walkers that have approached.

_5 to one, baby_

_one in five. _

_No one here gets out alive, now_ (Roxi beheads walker #1)

_you get yours, baby_

_I'll get get mine. _

_Gonna make it baby if we try… _(Stella smashes through a skull with a flurry of swings of her bat until finally using the handle to shove through the remaining bits)

_The old get old _

_and the young get stronger _(both sisters kill separate walkers)

_May take you week _

_and it may take longer_

_they got the guns_

_but we got the numbers_

_Gonna win, _(Roxi slices through the head of walker #5, the bat has slipped out of Stella's hand, Roxi turns with a swift motion, barely recovering from #5, and walker #6's head falls to the ground)

_we're taking over …_ (the sisters share a united proud look, until the realize there are more behind their initial six)

_(the song flurries into a guitar solo)_

An arrow flies through the air from behind them, as Daryl takes down one of the flock. Dean is suddenly next to them, chopping at the head of another. Michonne is at Stella's right, handing her another weapon, while she jumps forward towards the foe. Rick is shoving a blade through the jaw of another, pushing it into the brain portion of the skull from the bottom. Carol, Glenn and Maggie are attacking from the side. Sam has his Ruby blade, and is stabbing through temples at will. And Benny is tackling the dead, sending a large stone straight through their skulls. It all becomes a blur of bodies and blood.

(the song fades at the next lines …)

_Your ballroom days are over, baby…_

There is a sea of bodies at their feet. Stella and Roxi at the center, the other warriors making their ways towards them. Roxi wiped her blade off on her pants leg in one swift motion. Dean checks in, "You all right?" She nods. Her face is stern, collected. She shows no fear, no remorse. She is fine.


	6. Chapter 6

They passed over what was left of a road. It had the appearance that it might have one day been a busy road that led somewhere of prominence. Instead, it was battered, crumbing at the edges and covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust that helped it blend in with the grey of everything else in Purgatory. Michonne and then Roxi stepped over the carcass of a legless walker as they passed , giving it a little nudge with their boots to verify that is was dead. Benny nodded towards Jayna acknowledging her kill. Her big brown eyes avoided his, but he recognized the warmth in them. She killed it not because she had to, out of self defense, she killed it because she couldn't let it suffer anymore. As if seeking her security blanket, she slipped her hand into Sam's, who walked dutifully next to her, "I want to go home, Sammy." she whispered.

Dean hovered close to the two, "We are close to the portal." Sam said quietly to his brother. "Benny can lead us back to it without a problem. He knows the way."

Rick didn't like the way the two brothers were huddled. It reeked of collusion. He stood with his hand on his weapon, thinking this over. Daryl stepped in time with him, reading his defensive body language. The new stranger Jayna had his daughter Judith in her arms, Stella and Roxi were relaying a story to Michonne and Maggie that had Maggie giggling, and Michonne shaking her head, but smiling. "I don't know if I trust these people." Rick said.

It would surprise Daryl if Rick trusted anyone, so this statement was not a revelation. The only one of the group that seemed to understand what they faced every day and seemed to be able to handle it was Dean. Although it was all hands on deck for the battle that morning, everyone pulling their own weight. He still was leery. Roxi was just a kid, not yet hardened. Stella was well on her way. Jayna was weak, protected only by her fellow travelers, Sam and Benny. Although he remembered when Beth was considered the weak one, or even Glenn. They all paid their dues, and faced the evils of the walkers on a daily basis. He would not abandon any of them to this day, and would fight with them side by side until the end. Rick scratched his beard, deep in thought. He thought of Carl. How he had tried to protect him from being hardened, and now he depended on that hardness for his own survival.

Another sign pointing to Marietta sat fallen on the roadside, and they bore foreword. A car with its front end smashed into the barrier loomed upon them. They could hear the gurgles and growls of a family of walkers sauntering around it.

"Do you think anyone is in there?" Roxi wondered outloud.

"Looks like its been there for awhile." Rick concluded, guessing 'no' and would have checked anyway, except the side door was open, and a walker was having a snack on whoever used to be in the passenger seat.

"Dean, we should probably take a detour …" Benny advised pointing towards a parting in the trees.

"That car …" Daryl looked through the scope of his rifle, "Is not in that bad shape. We might be able to get it going."

"We just have to clean the walkers off of it." Maggie said with a certain amount of disgust.

"We've done worse." Rick agreed. Turning towards Dean, he continued, "We can handle this here - it only looks like a few walkers. You guys scout ahead and see if there is way around this mess, or if there is something else to worry about up front."

Dean nodded, accepting the orders, pointing to his crew to follow Benny, "You call out if you need extra hands." he offered.

Rick agreed, "We're going to try to get the car running too. Might take a bit. Once you know the way is clear, you let us know."

Led by Cas, Stella and Roxi stepped into the trees after Benny, followed by Jayna and Sam, and finally Dean taking up the rear, the sounds of walkers being neutralized echoing behind them.

* * *

><p>There was a grey rock formation, almost in turrets that reached to the evergreen trees. The trees spun in the flurry into themselves. The wind suddenly exhilarating into hurricane levels. The rocks seemed to erupt seamlessly in a spiral of energy the color of the bottom of a newborn flame, burning blue hot. Their ears were assaulted by the sound of the air being sucked out of Purgatory to places unknown.<p>

"There she is." Benny announced proudly. The presence of his human companions called the portal to being, manifesting itself simply because of their proximity. It was the most beautiful thing in Purgatory. It nearly took his breath away. Being surrounded by malevolence and repugnance, this break in the seam of his reality was like a glimpse of heaven itself.

"Let's move fast before Team Happy catches on. Don't let them see it." Dean instructed, "They are used to people simply fading into the wildernesses , our disappearance won't surprise them. They will think we turned."

"What?" Stella and Roxi expunged at exactly the same time.

Jayna stared at the Winchester as if he were evil himself, "No, Dean. We are taking them with us." Benny shook his head, his eyes and mouth turned down at the corners, seeping with sadness. Dean and Benny were in agreement. She turned to Sam, "Sam .. its a Human Portal. We are taking them with us." her voice cracked at the urgency of it.

"If they even know it exists, it will haunt them for eternity. The idea itself will simply drive them mad." Benny expounded upon Dean's initial statement.

Sam raised his shoulders in a small effort at a shrug. The portal was making a whirling and growling sound. Dean started spouting orders, shouting over the noise, "Sam, you got Roxi and Stella. I got Cas." he looked at the angel, "Don't even think of giving me a hard time this time." Cas shook his head obediently.

Sam immediately took Roxi and Stella's hands. The girls stared at his hands in theirs as if it were alien, or a lifeline, and they weren't sure which. He tried to pull them up the rock face, half assisting them, and half leading them. But Stella broke free of his grasp as he struggled against Roxi, he swore under his breath, looking at both girls bewildered.

"We can't leave them." Stella announced, glancing towards the trees, towards the direction that they had left Rick, Daryl, Carol, Michonne, everyone.

Sam's eyebrows cinched together, his forehead creasing deeply, "Who? Rick and …" he avoided using Dean's Team Happy nickname.

Dean scolded them from beneath, "Come on Girls!" yelling over the thunder the portal made in their ears.

Jayna exhaled loudly, knowing that her girls were on the same page as she was "No, Dean. We aren't leaving them here." she started back in the direction of Rick and his crew. Without words, Benny and Dean made a quick mutual decision, nodding to eachother, and Benny swooped Jayna off her feet, bringing her back to Dean.

She punched at his chest,she felt tears spring to her eyes at the feeling of helplessness that came over her, "No, Benny. No." she looked into his face, into his eyes, imploring him.

Leaving Sam at the Portal's precipice, Stella and Roxi jumped from the portal cliff together, landing at Dean's feet. He grabbed the back of Roxi's neck, almost too roughly, "Cas.. .." he warned as the Angel stepped up to intercept Stella.

"Don't do this, Castiel." Stella appealed to the angel, "Don't stop me." Cas cocked his head sideways at the older sister. He only knew that he had to keep her safe. Keep them all safe. She felt the cold presence of her dagger at her pant leg, still tucked in her boot, but she knew it was futile to try to use it against the Angel.

Although Benny allowed her feet to touch the ground, he still held Jayna's arms pinned between them, stopping her from punching at him any further, His blue eyes quite literally pleaded with her, "Listen, little lady. … I wasn't just sitting here waiting for you and Sam to come strolling through that portal. I stay by that portal for a reason. No body gets in that isn't supposed to, and more importantly, no body gets out. "

He had warned Roxi not to fight him, she thought about it. She did not want to get in a full out brawl with Dean Winchester. But every hold he could put on her, she knew a way out of - simple beginner Self Defense from her training at the Dojo. Double wrist grab. Back Arm lock. Bear Hug. Choke Hold (not that he would). He may overpower her, but she had training on her side. She really didn't want to use it, because it would only result in a full battle. And she knew he would never want to hurt her. So she let him hold her by the wrists. "Think about it, what would happen if this mutation got back to our world? It would be quite literally Armageddon, worse than the apocalypse itself. It has spread like wildfire here, in Purgatory. Can you imagine what it would do to living cells?" Dean was trying to reason with the girls, with Jayna.

"Carl is just a kid!" Stella screamed at Dean, partially out of exasperation, partially simply to be over the roar of the portal's winds.

Although he could not hear her words, Daryl could hear the hysteric tone in her voice. He looked towards them. Visually, he determined that Stella was crying. Her chest heaved with each word and breath as if she struggled against herself. Dean had Roxi by the wrists. Cas stood, guarding Stella. Benny had Jayna in a full body bear hug. Stella was talking, probably yelling, very emotionally at Dean, who, by the look of his body language, was trying to calm her down. Daryl raised his head as he tried to read their lips. He took a few steps closer, just as Stella took a swing at Dean, hitting a not-so-powerful fist into his chest, the words, "and what about Judith?! She's a baby!" making their way to him. Tears were pouring down her face. She wiped the tears away angrily, as if the tears themselves were betraying her. "This is torture. We cannot leave them behind. It is not who we are. We don't torture people."

"Its too late, Stella." Dean said not flinching from her assault. Cas stepped up behind her, hesitating to put his hands on the girl.

She wouldn't be faltered, "They are just children." she almost whispered. She caught Daryl's approach in the corner of her eye.

"Everything all right here?" he asked. Not that he should care. Not that it was any of his business, he thought to himself. These were not his people.

Benny growled as he Jayna broke free of his arms. (the reality being he had let her go) Cas looked momentarily to the portal. It had closed as Daryl had come upon them. His eyes narrowed as his pondered this.

"What if you had a way out, Daryl?" Jayna said her own voice cracked with hysterics.

"Jayna , its too late…" Dean said again. Roxi slipped herself out of Dean's hands very easily with just a twist of her thumbs and wrists. He threw his hands up submissively.

Daryl stepped forward between everyone else and Dean, "Yeah. It might be." he rumbled towards the Winchester. He didn't like the way the girls were fighting against these guys but he also got the feeling that they were just trying to help. It wasn't true animosity. Just a bit of dissidence in the ranks. Still, he stood toe to toe with Dean, staring each other down as if in a challenge.

Roxi spoke up, trying to get Daryl's attention, "We could find a cure, an antidote."

Stella stepped towards Daryl, depending on her allegiance with the archer, "We have hospitals, and research. We have more resources than what you have here." Daryl grimaced at her, not believing that there was a place not touched by walkers, by this living hell. She looked towards Sam when she added, "We could comb through the Men of Letters' library."

"There is no way out." he concluded nonchalantly as he glanced respectfully sideways to Roxi and then Stella. Daryl turned very slowly to face her, taking his eyes from Dean finally, "There is no cure." he said with such clarity and resolute tenacity that Stella stopped mid breath, her knees suddenly weak. In one smooth movement, Cas slipped his arm around her waist to brace her from collapsing.

"But its a human portal." Jayna whispered, almost to herself. But Daryl was already gone, he disappeared from their sight, lost in the underbrush, back to join his Rick and Michonne and the others. Benny circled her shoulder with the palm of his hand in a gentle soothing gesture.

The sky began to vibrate and pulse with its blue flame once again. Sam ducked as he fought a black hole like gravitation on his body towards the center of the portal. As all eyes turned to the eruption in the rocks, Castiel repeated the words with authority, "It is a Human Portal."

Cas hung his head slightly, " They are … _(his voice wavered as if he was considering his words)_ no longer human."


	7. Chapter 7

"Where are they?" Stella paced between the trees. Sam and Roxi sat flanked on a fallen tree stump.

"I don't know." Sam responded honestly. He didn't know. It hadn't been that long, just 15 minutes, maybe a little more. It shouldn't have taken them this long, they should have been right behind them. He looked at his watch.

"Its cold." Roxi attempted to say, but it came out with a blur of swear words in the middle.

Sam shrugged, "We're in Maine."

Roxi was more than annoyed, "Maine? Purgatory dumps you out in MAINE?" She had shed much of her layers in Purgatory, where they enjoyed the sultry heat of Zombie Apocalypse, Georgia. The sweat barely had enough time to dry on their skin before they were assaulted with the cold Maine air. Still having one more layer than she did, Sam removed his jacket, and draped it over Roxi's shoulders, where she could wrap it around herself like a blanket. She cooed contently.

There was a blue flash a few feet away from them. They recognized it as the exact kind of light that exploded when they came over from the other side.

Not taking any chances, Dean had wrapped his arms around the angel, before they both jumped through the portal. Before he let go completely, the girls could hear him touting over Castiel, "You ok?, everything where it is supposed to be?" Castiel shook himself for a moment, almost like a bird would ruffle its feathers and nodded, "Yes."

There was a second flash, and Jayna stumbled through the thicket. She was breathless, but complaining, "That man is the most stubborn…."

"He is not a man." Castiel corrected.

"Oh he's a man alright." Jayna sniped, being slightly sexist for a moment, "Pig headed, stubborn …."

Roxi and Stella shut her up for a moment with a joint hug, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Dean shook his head, explaining to his brother, "She tried to convince Benny to come back."

Castiel eyed the Winchesters, and then Jayna, securing that their bodies did not need his healing skills, he peered closely into Jayna's eyes, forcing her to meet his intense stare, "You can not save everyone."

Jayna was not deterred, "No, but I sure as hell can try."

The Rolling Stones song plays the scene out:

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometime you find_

_You get what you need…..._


End file.
